Corpus Linguistics (Distance)

Entry requirements

2:1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in any subject. Qualifications and/or experience recognised by the University to be of an equivalent standard will also be considered.

We also welcome applicants from other subject backgrounds with linguistic knowledge commensurate with an undergraduate degree

We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously. For example, we normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5, and a minimum of 6.5 in reading and writing and 6.0 in listening and speaking or TRINITY ISE (C1/C2). We also consider other English language qualifications.

Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

Months of entry

January, April, July, October

Course content

Take your Master's in Corpus Linguistics in one of the best Linguistics Departments in the world. We are placed 3rd in the QS World Rankings 2024.

Course information

We aim to equip you with skills that will enable you to analyse large amounts of linguistic data (corpora) using cutting-edge computational technology. You will also learn about the structure of the English language and a wide variety of applications of corpus linguistic methods for the analysis of English and other languages. This includes discourse analysis (newspapers, business reports, social media etc), sociolinguistic analysis of spoken language as well as pedagogical applications of corpora (Data-Driven Learning, English for Academic Purposes, teaching materials development etc).

There are five core modules and two options, which are expected to run at the following times. You will find further information about modules in the course structure section.

Core modules:

• Fundamentals of corpus linguistics (October-December year 1)
• Corpus design and data collection (January - March year 1)
• Statistics and data visualization (April - June year 1)
• Corpus based grammar and vocabulary of English (October - December year 2)
• Dissertation (April - August/September year 2)

Optional modules:

• Using corpora in Language teaching (January - March year 2)
• Corpus-based discourse studies (January - March year 2)

Lancaster University has a specialised corpus research centre, The ESRC Centre for Corpus Approaches to Social Science, CASS, and is one of the world leaders in corpus linguistics. We build corpora such as the British National Corpus 2014 and the Trinity Lancaster Corpus and develop innovative corpus tools such as #LancsBox, Lancaster Stats Tools online and CQPweb. In 2015, Lancaster University was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for innovative corpus linguistic research.

During your studies, you will learn from experts in the field and will have access to a wealth of corpus resources. The programme will help your professional growth in a variety of fields where analytical skills are required. Typical graduate careers include data analysts, market analysts, educators, journalists, teachers, communications consultants, sales representatives, local government officials etc. The programme will also prepare you for research at the PhD level in corpus linguistics and related subject areas if you choose to continue with your studies.

By the end of the MA programme, you will have had the opportunity to master research techniques as well as general academic skills of structuring and writing research reports and carrying out extensive independent research. This will enhance your chances of success in the competitive job market.

Supporting your studies

If you’re returning to education or you’re not familiar with academic conventions used in UK, we’ll provide the support you need to successfully complete your MA. We will help you to polish your academic reading, writing and presentation skills, sharpen your critical thinking skills and help you to work more effectively.

Outside the lecture theatre, we encourage you to join our diverse departmental research centres, and vibrant student and university societies to share ideas, socialise and make friends.

You may have the opportunity to attend one of our international summer schools, where you can experience the local culture, enhance your academic knowledge and potentially work on your dissertation.

Taster webinar and free lectures

You are invited to get a taste for the subject and some of our specialisms by viewing our taster webinar and free lectures.

Please note: It is also possible to take modules on a standalone basis. Please contact the department if you would like further information.

Fees and funding

Please visit our website for information on: Postgraduate Fees & Funding